Electromagnetic driving module and lens device using the same

ABSTRACT

An electromagnetic driving module includes an upper housing, a lower housing connected to the upper housing, a lens holder disposed in a space defined by the upper and lower housings, a wiring assembly disposed on the lens holder, and a first magnetic element corresponding to the wiring assembly and disposed on the upper housing. The lower housing includes a seat and a positioning structure that is adjacent to the wiring assembly and extends from the seat toward the upper housing, wherein the positioning structure includes a first side wall facing the wiring assembly, and a gap is formed between the first side wall and the wiring assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/527,519 filed on Oct. 29, 2014, which claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 103125644, filed on Jul. 28, 2014, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a driving module and a lens device using the same, and more particularly to an electromagnetic driving module which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy and a lens device using the same.

Description of the Related Art

Generally, an electronic device includes a driving module to drive an element to move a predetermined distance. For example, an electronic device having an image-capuring function usually includes a driving module to generate driving power. One or more optical lens units of the electronic device are driven by the driving power to move along an optical axis, so as to facilitate auto-focus and auto-zoom controls.

However, since the driving module includes a complex driving member, such as stepper motor, ultrasonic motor, piezoelectric actuators, etc. to generate the driving power and the driving power has to be transmitted by a number of transmission elements, it is not easy to assemble and the manufacturing cost is high. In addition, a conventional driving module is also large in size and has a high power consumption due to its complex construction.

Therefore, a driving module that has the advantages of small size and simple construction is desired by the manufacturers. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, one objective of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic driving module, which is configured to provide a driving force to drive an element such as a lens module positioned in the electromagnetic driving module to move.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the electromagnetic driving module includes an upper housing, a lower housing connected to the upper housing, a lens holder disposed in a space defined by the upper and lower housings, a wiring assembly disposed on the lens holder, and a first magnetic element corresponding to the wiring assembly and disposed on the upper housing. The lower housing includes a seat and a positioning structure that is adjacent to the wiring assembly and extends from the seat toward the upper housing, wherein the positioning structure includes a first side wall facing the wiring assembly, and a gap is formed between the first side wall and the wiring assembly.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the positioning structure further includes a second side wall farther from the wiring assembly than the first side wall.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the first and second side walls are substantially parallel to each other and face the wiring assembly.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the electromagnetic driving module further includes a circuit board fixed to the upper housing, the upper housing includes an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, and the circuit board and the first magnetic element are situated on different sides of the lateral sub-member.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the upper housing includes an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, wherein the circuit board is mounted on a first inner surface of the lateral sub-member.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the first magnetic element is disposed on a second inner surface of the lateral sub-member, wherein the circuit board and the first magnetic element are situated on different sides of the lateral sub-member, and the second inner surface of the lateral sub-member is substantially parallel to an axis of the lens holder.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the electromagnetic driving module further includes a reference element and a sensor element, wherein the reference element is disposed on the lens holder, and the sensor element corresponds to the reference element and is disposed on the circuit board

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the upper housing includes an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, wherein the lateral sub-member has no through hole for receiving the first magnetic element.

According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the wiring assembly includes a planar surface, and the gap is formed between the planar surface and the first side wall.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a lens device. The lens device includes any electromagnetic driving module in any of the embodiments mentioned above and a lens module disposed in the electromagnetic driving module. According to some embodiments of the disclosure, the electromagnetic driving module can adjust the position of the lens module to facilitate auto-focus and auto-zoom controls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an electromagnetic driving module, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a portion of the electromagnetic driving module, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the electromagnetic driving module shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of a lens device including an electromagnetic driving module, in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE

The making and using of the embodiments of the disclosure are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the embodiments can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative, and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.

FIG.1 shows an exploded view of an electromagnetic driving module 1. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic driving module 1 is a voice coil motor (VCM) which includes an upper housing 10, an upper spring sheet 12, a lens holder 14, two magnetic elements 16, a reference element 20, a wiring assembly 22, a circuit board 24, a sensor element 26, a lower spring sheet 28, and a lower housing 30. The elements of the electromagnetic driving module 1 can be added to or omitted, and the invention should not be limited by the embodiment.

The upper housing 10 is connected to the lower housing 30. The upper spring sheet 12, the lens holder 14, the two magnetic elements 16, the reference element 20, the wiring assembly 22, the circuit board 24, the sensor element 26, and the lower spring sheet 28 are positioned in a place defined by the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 30.

In some embodiments, the upper housing 10 includes an upper sub-member 105 and one or more lateral sub-members extending from edges of the upper sub-member 105 toward the lower housing 30. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper housing 10 includes a number of lateral sub-members 101, 102, 103, and 104. The lateral sub-members 101, 102, 103, and 104 connecting each other consecutively, wherein the lateral sub-members 101 and 103 face each other, and the lateral sub-members 102 and 104 face each other. The lateral sub-members 101, 102, 103, and 104 may be made individually and are assembled by suitable means. Alternatively, the lateral sub-members 101, 102, 103, and 104 may be formed integrally. In some non-illustrated embodiments, the upper housing 10 includes a lateral sub-member which has a cylindrical configuration.

The upper spring sheet 12 and lower spring sheet 28 are configured for supporting the lens holder 14 and enabling the lens holder 14 to move in a vertical direction (Z-axis) in the upper and lower housings 10 and 30. In some embodiments, the upper spring sheet 12 is fixed at the upper housing 10, and the lower spring sheet 28 is fixed at the lower housing 30. In some embodiments, the lower spring sheet 28 is electrically connected to the circuit board 24.

In some embodiments, the lens holder 14 is penetrated by a passage 146 and is configured to support an element, such as a lens module (not shown in FIG. 1). In addition, the lens holder 14 includes one or more side surfaces surrounding the passage 146. For example, the lens holder 14 includes a number of side surfaces, such as a first side surface 141, a second side surface 142, a third side surface 143, and a fourth side surface 144. The first side surface 141 is opposite to the third side surface 143, and the second side surface 142 is opposite to the fourth side surface 144.

In some embodiments, the lens holder 14 further includes a number of connecting surfaces 145. Each connecting surface 145 connects one side surface to another neighboring side surface, and an angle is formed between each connecting surface and the adjacent side surface. For example, the connecting surface 145 connects the first side surface 141 to the second side surface 142, and an angle is formed between the connecting surface 145 and the first side surface 141 or the second side surface 142. It is appreciated that the configuration of the lens holder 14 should not be limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, in some non-illustrated embodiments, the lens holder 14 includes a side surface, which has a cylindrical configuration.

The wiring assembly 22 has a circular structure that surrounds the side surface of the lens holder 14. The wiring assembly 22 allows an electric current to pass therethrough so as to generate a magnetic field to drive the lens holder 14 to move relative to the upper and the lower housings 10 and 30. In some embodiments, the wiring assembly 22 includes a first section 221, a second section 222, a third section 223, a fourth section 224, and a number of connecting sections 225. The first section 221, the second section 222, the third section 223, and the fourth section 224 are respectively positioned on the first side surface 141, the second side surface 222, the third side surface 143, and the fourth side surface 144. The connecting sections 225 are positioned on the connecting surface 145. The first section 221, the second section 222, the third section 223, and the fourth section 224 are connected to one the other via one of the connecting sections 225. In some embodiments, a surface of the connecting section 225 away from the connecting surface 145 is a planar surface. The advantage of this feature will be described more detail in the description referring to FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the wiring assembly 22 is electrically connected to the lower spring sheet 28. The electrical current from the outside power source is transmitted to the wiring assembly 22 via the circuit board 24 and the lower spring sheet 28.

The two magnetic elements 16 are symmetrical to an axis penetrating the passage 146 of the lens holder 14 and positioned on the lateral sub-members 102 and 104 of the upper housing 10. In some embodiments, the upper housing 10 is made of magnetic material, and the two magnetic elements 16 are directly attached on the inner surfaces of the lateral sub-members 102 and 104 of the upper housing 10 that face the lens holder 14. As a result, the assembly process for the two magnetic elements 16 is simplified.

Through the above-mentioned arrangements, in the operation of the electromagnetic driving module 1, the lens holder 14 is stably driven to move along a vertical direction (Z-axis) by the magnetic field generated by the two magnetic elements 16 the wiring assembly 22. Therefore, the control accuracy of the lens holder 14 is improved. However, it is appreciated that the positions of the two magnetic elements 16 should not be limited to the embodiment. The position of the two magnetic elements 16 can be modified, as along as the lens holder 14 can be stably driven by the magnetic force.

The circuit board 24 is directly fixed on the lateral sub-member of the upper housing 10 via suitable means. Power or electrical signals from the outside are transmitted to the elements in the electromagnetic driving module 1 via the circuit board 24. In some embodiments, the circuit board 24 includes a first portion 241, a second portion 242, and a number of conductive contacts 243. The first portion 241 is connected to the second portion 242. The conductive contacts 243 are positioned at the second portion 242 for providing electrical connection to outside circuit. The circuit board 24 may be a flexible circuit board (FPC), the second portion 242 of the circuit board 24 may be exposed to the outside of the electromagnetic driving module 1 via an opening (not indicated in FIG. 1) formed between the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 30, but the disclosure should not be limited thereto.

The reference element 20 is positioned in a groove 1411 formed on the first lateral side surface 141 of the lens holder 14. The sensor element 26 corresponds to the reference element 20 and is positioned on the circuit board 24. In some embodiments, the reference element 20 is a permanent magnet, and the sensor element 26 is a Hall Effect sensor. By detecting the permanent magnet of the reference element 20, the sensor element 26 produces an electrical signal based on the position of the reference element 20, so that the position of the lens holder 14 is measured. In some embodiments, the reference element 20 includes an optical transmitter, and the sensor element 26 includes a position signal receiver. By receiving the signal from the reference element 20, the sensor element 26 produces an electrical signal based on the position of the reference element 20, so that the position of the lens holder 14 is measured. In some embodiments, the electrical signal produced by the sensor element 26 is transmitted to a control system (not shown in the figure) via the circuit board 24. The control system adjusts the electrical current applied to the wiring assembly 24 according to the electrical signal from the sensor element 26.

In some embodiments, the lower housing 30 includes a seat 301 and a number of positioning structures 303. The seat 301 includes a number of connecting portions to connect the lateral sub-members of the upper housing 10. For example, the seat 301 includes a first connecting portion 3011, a second connecting portion 3012, a third connecting portion 3013, and a fourth connecting portion 3014. The lateral sub-members 101, 102, 103, and 104 of the upper housing 10 respectively connect to one of the first connecting portion 3011, the second connecting portion 3012, the third connecting portion 3013, and the fourth connecting portion 3014 of the lower housing 30 by suitable means (such as clamping). The positioning structures 303 are respectively positioned at corners of each two neighboring connecting portions. For example, the lower housing 30 includes four positioning structures 303. One of the four positioning structures 303 is positioned at the corner 3015 of the first connecting portion 3011 and the second connecting portion 3012 and extends toward the upper housing 10. The structural feature of the positioning structure 303 is described in more detail in the descriptions of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 2, method for fixing the circuit board 24 on the upper housing 10 is described below. In some embodiments, the fixing material S is positioned on the edge of the first portion 241 of the circuit board 24, and the circuit board 24 is fixed on the inner surface of the upper housing 10 via the fixing material S. In some non-illustrated embodiments, the fixing material S is positioned on the surface of the circuit board that faces the upper housing 10, and the circuit board 24 is fixed on the inner surface of the upper housing 10 via the fixing material S. The fixing material S may be a soldering material (such as tin solder), and the circuit board 24 is fixed on the upper housing 10 by a soldering process. Alternatively, the fixing material S may be glue, and the circuit board 24 is fixed on the upper housing 10 by gluing. In some other embodiments, the fixing material S is omitted, the circuit board 24 is fixed on the upper housing 10 by a thermal welding process.

It should be noted that, while the circuit board 24 shown in FIG. 2 is fixed on the lateral sub-frame 101 of the upper housing 10 where the magnetic elements 16 are not positioned, the disclosure should not be limited thereto. In some non-illustrated embodiments, the circuit board 24 and the magnetic elements 16 are positioned on one single lateral sub-frame of the upper housing 10, wherein the magnetic elements 16 and the circuit board 24 do not overlap each other so as to decrease the size.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the lower housing 30 and the wiring assembly 22 in the M region of FIG. 1. In some embodiments, after assembling the electromagnetic driving module 1, the positioning structures 303 of the lower housing 30 are adjacent to the wiring assembly 22. Specifically, each positioning structure 303 is adjacent to one of the connecting sections 225 of the wiring assembly 22. At a side of each positioning structure 303 that is adjacent to the corresponding connecting section 225, each positioning structure 303 includes a first side wall 3031, a second side wall 3032, and a third side wall 3033. The first side wall 3031 is closer to the corresponding connecting section 225 of the wiring assembly 22 than the second side wall 3032 or the third side wall 3033. The third side wall 3033 is closer to the corresponding connecting section 225 of the wiring assembly 22 than the second side wall 3032. In some embodiments, a gap G is formed between each first side wall 3031 and the corresponding connecting section 225 of the wiring assembly 22. Namely, the first side walls 3031 are not connected to the connecting sections 225.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the electromagnetic driving module 1 applied to a lens device 100. In some embodiments, the lens device 100 includes the electromagnetic driving module 1, a lens module 50 and an optical sensor 60. The lens module 50 is positioned in the lens holder 14 (FIG. 1), and the light receiving surface of the lens module 50 is adjacent to the upper housing 10, and the light emitting surface of the lens module 50 is adjacent to the optical sensor 60. The optical sensor 60 is a CMOS sensor, for example. The optical sensor 60 receives light passing through the lens module 50 and produces an image signal. The electromagnetic driving module 1 controls the focal length between the lens module 50 and the optical sensor 60, so as to facilitate an auto-focus and an auto-zoom control.

Compared with the conventional electromagnetic driving module, the electromagnetic driving module of the disclosure omits a frame positioned between the wiring assembly and the upper housing. As a result, the size of the module is reduced and the manufacturing cost is decreased. In addition, since the circuit board 24 is directly fixed on the upper housing 10, the production efficiency is improved.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electromagnetic driving module, comprising: an upper housing; a lower housing, connected to the upper housing; a lens holder, disposed in a space defined by the upper and lower housings; a wiring assembly, disposed on the lens holder; and a first magnetic element, corresponding to the wiring assembly and disposed on the upper housing; wherein the lower housing comprises a seat and a positioning structure that is adjacent to the wiring assembly and extends from the seat toward the upper housing, wherein the positioning structure comprises a first side wall facing the wiring assembly, and a gap is formed between the first side wall and the wiring assembly.
 2. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning structure further comprises a second side wall farther from the wiring assembly than the first side wall.
 3. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second side walls are substantially parallel to each other and face the wiring assembly.
 4. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit board fixed to the upper housing.
 5. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper housing comprises an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, and the circuit board and the first magnetic element are situated on different sides of the lateral sub-member.
 6. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper housing comprises an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, wherein the circuit board is mounted on a first inner surface of the lateral sub-member.
 7. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first magnetic element is disposed on a second inner surface of the lateral sub-member, wherein the circuit board and the first magnetic element are situated on different sides of the lateral sub-member, and the second inner surface of the lateral sub-member is substantially parallel to an axis of the lens holder.
 8. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a reference element and a sensor element, wherein the reference element is disposed on the lens holder, and the sensor element corresponds to the reference element and is disposed on the circuit board.
 9. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper housing comprises an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, wherein the lateral sub-member has no through hole for receiving the first magnetic element.
 10. The electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiring assembly comprises a planar surface, and the gap is formed between the planar surface and the first side wall.
 11. A lens device, comprising an electromagnetic driving module as claimed in claim 1 and a lens module disposed in the electromagnetic driving module.
 12. The lens device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the positioning structure further comprises a second side wall farther from the wiring assembly than the first side wall.
 13. The lens device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first and second side walls are substantially parallel to each other and face the wiring assembly.
 14. The lens device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a circuit board fixed to the upper housing.
 15. The lens device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the upper housing comprises an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, and the circuit board and the first magnetic element are situated on different sides of the lateral sub-member.
 16. The lens device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the upper housing comprises an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, wherein the circuit board is mounted on a first inner surface of the lateral sub-member.
 17. The lens device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first magnetic element is disposed on a second inner surface of the lateral sub-member, wherein the circuit board and the first magnetic element are situated on different sides of the lateral sub-member, and the second inner surface of the lateral sub-member is substantially parallel to an axis of the lens holder.
 18. The lens device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a reference element and a sensor element, wherein the reference element is disposed on the lens holder, and the sensor element corresponds to the reference element and is disposed on the circuit board.
 19. The lens device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the upper housing comprises an upper sub-member and a lateral sub-member extending from an edge of the upper sub-member toward the lower housing, wherein the lateral sub-member has no through hole for receiving the first magnetic element.
 20. The lens device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wiring assembly comprises a planar surface, and the gap is formed between the planar surface and the first side wall. 